One Day After Federal Charges, Suffolk County District Attorney Announces Resignation

27 October 2017, 01:01 | Kara Nash

Drugs Found in Prison Cell of Ex Police Chief

Brooklyn federal prosecutors have accused Spota and his chief of investigations, Christopher McPartland, of conspiring to help former Suffolk Police Chief James Burke in a notorious 2012 police beat-down. But more recently, he found himself under scrutiny by federal agents who were investigating a freakish attack on a criminal suspect carried out by his friend and the county's police chief at the time, James Burke. He's serving prison time for beating a man arrested for stealing items from his SUV. The prosecutors are slated to be arraigned in Central Islip federal court later this afternoon.

A district attorney on eastern Long Island and a top aide were charged Wednesday with intimidating witnesses in a federal civil rights investigation into the beating of a handcuffed prisoner by a police chief.

They're facing charges of tampering with witnesses, witness tampering, obstruction of justice and deprivation of civil rights. He was released on $500,000 bond.

Spota, 76, is not seeking re-election after 16 years in office. Sini is running for district attorney in November. A lawyer for Spota said his client denies the charges, the New York Times and the Associated Press report.

The federal indictment stems from an incident in December 2012, when, authorities say, then-Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke beat a jailed inmate who had been arrested for breaking into his auto. The suspect, who was later convicted by a special prosecutor, was accused of stealing a duffel bag in Burke's vehicle that contained cigars, sex toys and pornographic DVDs.

The three men are accused of "using intimidation, threats and corrupt persuasion to pressure one or more witnesses, including co-conspirators, not to cooperate with the federal investigation, to provide false information, including false testimony under oath, and to withhold relevant information from" federal prosecutors, the indictment states.

Trending Now

What do economists make of the GDP figures?
The rise is above expectations of 0.3%, as economists predicted growth in line with the first and second quarters of 2017. Inflation in the United Kingdom has jumped to a five-and-a-half year high at 3%, while wage growth remains subdued.

Backwards-compatible original Xbox games appear online
There will also be no Achievements for Original Xbox games because this functionality was also not originally available. As it turns out, 13 titles will be joining the program and they will be hitting Xbox One consoles as early as tomorrow.

Why Trump Just Accused a Grieving War Widow of Lying
The president's tweet comes after Myeshia Johnson during an interview on ABC's " Good Morning America " confirmed Rep. She added, "I think that he has to admit what he did was incorrect in terms of the speech he mischaracterized ".

Microsoft up after Q1 beats, achieves $20B Cloud goal
Gaming revenue, however, only increased 1 percent, even as Xbox software and services revenue was up 21 percent. Revenue from Windows, gaming, and other PC businesses was flat overall this quarter, at $9.4 billion.

Ex-FBI chief confirms 'secret' account — Comey on Twitter
Most importantly, the White House insists he was sacked for handling Russian interference with the USA elections poorly. The firing ultimately led to the appointment of a special counsel, which has dogged the Trump presidency for months.